The Chicago Blackhawks made their first trade of the deadline season. They sent Connor Murphy to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a second-round pick in 2028. Chicago also retained 50% of Murphy’s cap hit, which likely played a key role in getting a good draft pick out of the Oilers.
Now, the Hawks have an extra asset to use in the future, however they choose, and the Oilers landed a solid penalty-killing defensive defenseman. Now that General Manager Kyle Davidson made one move, more are expected in the coming days.
There are five more Blackhawks players who are considered to be candidates as Friday’s trade deadline approaches. These players could follow Nick Foligno out the door:
Jason Dickinson
Jason Dickinson is the forward most likely to move. He is a veteran center who wins face-offs, defends well, and scores timely goals. Although nobody would ever mistake Dickinson for an offensive player over being a defensive-minded guy, he has shown the ability to chip in at a high-end third-line level.
Dickinson also brings a fair amount of leadership qualities to a locker room. He is not afraid to stick up for teammates, play tough, and speak to the media when the time calls.
There are plenty of playoff teams with a two-headed monster down the middle that would love to fill in the third-line center spot. If he needed to play on the fourth line, a team would really be flexing its muscles.
Nick Foligno
Over the weekend, Nick Foligno said that the Blackhawks needed depth scoring to help out Connor Bedard. He came out in the next game and scored a goal, which played a big role in the Hawks getting the win.
That is the act of a good hockey captain. Although he is a bottom-six forward at this stage of his career, Foligno has qualities that make him a valuable teammate both on and off the ice.
Foligno has been a captain in two NHL markets. Although he won’t be a captain wherever he goes, he will join the leadership group right away because he’s that type of person. Contenders need guys like that beyond the guys wearing letters on their sweaters.
Matt Grzelcyk
Matt Grzelcyk could be traded because he’s a pending unrestricted free agent. He could also not be because of the fact that teams might not give up much to get him. A third-pair offensive defenseman isn’t going to be worth high-end draft capital when better players are out there.
There are always guys like Grzelcyk, however, who move for little to nothing at the deadline. A playoff-bound team may see Grzelcyk as someone worth having around in case their number one offensive guy gets hurt.
If Grzelcyk does stay in Chicago beyond the deadline, he will be the oldest of the defensemen by far. With Connor Murphy gone, it’s an even younger bunch based on average age.
Ilya Mikheyev
Ilya Mikheyev is the player on the Blackhawks who is in trade rumors, but should probably just be extended. Having one solid veteran forward who can kill penalties, be hard to play against, and make smart hockey decisions can be hard to find.
In addition to being one of the best penalty killers in the league, Mikheyev is good for 15-20 goals a season. All of them will be at even strength, too, because he barely gets power-play ice time. He knows his role, and he executes it flawlessly.
Kevin Korchinski
Kevin Korchinski wasn’t truly on anyone’s radar until Elliotte Friedman mentioned his name on his podcast. Elliotte doesn’t mention names for no reason. You can assume that Korchinski is at least on the block.
Unlike the other players on this list, Korchinski is not a pending free agent. He is a younger player who is still considered a prospect to some. His problem is that he’s been incredible in the AHL but lackluster in all of his NHL stints.
The things that Korchinski does well, Sam Rinzel and Artyom Levshunov also do well, if not better. Rinzel and Levshunov are also better defensively, which sets Korchinski behind.
Another team may take a chance on a former 7th overall pick with all of the talent in the world, especially a defenseman. It is unclear what a trade involving Korchinski may look like, but his name is among the few who could be on the move from this team. A change of scenery could be good for all involved parties.
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If the Philadelphia Flyers were hoping to come away from Friday's NHL trade deadline with a haul, the latest Edmonton Oilers trade poured some cold water on that.
On Monday, the Oilers swung an important trade for their Stanley Cup contention hopes, sending a 2028 second-round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for defenseman Connor Murphy at 50% salary retention.
Murphy, 32, has one year remaining on his contract at a $4.4 million cap hit, so he's a pure rental for the Oilers for the cost of just $2.2 million after Chicago's retention.
For the Flyers, that doesn't bode well for Rasmus Ristolainen's trade value coming into Friday.
Ristolainen, 31, has two years remaining, including this one, on his contract at a $5.5 million cap hit, so his extra year of term won't offer contending teams the flexibility they might need, like Edmonton did.
And, while both Murphy and Ristolainen are 6-foot-4 right-handers, Murphy has not suffered a season-ending injury two years in a row.
Despite not having those question marks, carrying a cheaper salary, and coming with no strings attached, Murphy's value was still just a second-round pick two drafts away.
It's been long said that the Flyers desire a first-round pick or player/prospect equivalent in exchange for their defenseman, but the current market now indicates this won't be the case.
Based on Edmonton's trade for Murphy, Colorado sending Girard to Pittsburgh for Kulak was more or less a throw-in to make the deal work.
The Flyers, winners of three straight at the time of this writing, may just opt to keep Ristolainen if this is the market for him and re-assess once again in the offseason, much to the chagrin of fans eagerly awaiting a true rebuild.
Aside from Owen Tippett, who has historically generated a good amount of trade buzz himself, the Flyers don't have much to sell ahead of the trade deadline this year.
Christian Dvorak was tied down and rewarded with a five-year contract, and depth forwards like Nick Deslauriers, Garnet Hathaway, and Carl Grundstrom more than likely won't be worth the squeeze for contenders.
That could leave the Flyers in a bind over the course of the next three days.
Unless something drastic changes, it appears unlikely that Scott Laughton will be a Toronto Maple Leafs player once the NHL trade deadline comes to a close on Friday.
According to TSN's Chris Johnston on Monday morning, Laughton's days in Toronto could be numbered as the Maple Leafs fall further and further out of the playoff picture.
"It feels that way," Johnston said. "And look, I think some of this will depend on where the offers end up, but look at what Scott Laughton is. When he was traded, ironically, by the Philadelphia Flyers to Toronto, they kept half of his salary at that point in time.
"So the Leafs are in a situation now where they're able to retain further salary potential in a trade, and so you'd be getting a fourth line centerman — who could maybe play a little bit up the lineup, we haven't seen that a lot in Toronto — and at a bargain basement price.
"I think that's really important for teams ahead of this deadline."
Johnston did say, however, that Laughton, a pending unrestricted free agent like Bobby McMann, could still re-sign with Toronto if both sides can come to a resolution.
"At this point, it does seem as though his desires, in terms of the next contract, exceed what Toronto's willing to pay," Johnston continued. "But we're still in that point where one phone call, one conversation, one change of stance can change the direction of things."
The Maple Leafs acquired Laughton from the Flyers at last season's trade deadline in exchange for Nikita Grebenkin and a conditional 2027 first-round pick. Since joining his hometown team, the 31-year-old has scored 10 goals and 16 points in 63 games.
One year later, he finds himself in the same predicament.
"It's hard. We have a veteran team, though. I think you show up to work every day and you put your best foot forward," said Laughton about the trade deadline, before Toronto's game against the Flyers.
"We're all still here, right? It's not up to us. It's out of our control. Everyone's in their own situation, has to deal with their own things. But you have to come on the ice and be a unit together.
"It's hard sometimes, but at the end of the day, you're in the NHL and one of the best franchises. It's a very humbling opportunity to play here and it's a special place."
Laughton is one of several Maple Leafs in trade rumors. Other players include McMann as well as defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who, on Monday, also expressed his desire to remain in Toronto.
The Oakville, Ontario-born forward centered the Maple Leafs' fourth line on Monday night, with Easton Cowan and Steven Lorentz on his wings. He had two shots and registered 11:51 of ice time in the shootout loss.
Laughton's current cap hit is $1.5 million, and that can be lowered further if the Maple Leafs retain salary in a trade.
"I've loved it here and I've loved my time (as a Maple Leaf). That's all I really can control," Laughton said. "I don't get into conversations too much. I'm a Leaf and that's where I want to be. We'll see where it goes."
ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 1: Jonathan Kuminga #0 of the Atlanta Hawks smiles during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on March 1, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
I’ll admit it: I was skeptical when the Hawks acquired a guy who didn’t exactly endear himself to four-time championship head coach Steve Kerr. But clearly, sometimes a change in scenery is all you really need.
Or maybe the Warriors just didn’t know what they had.
Jonathan Kuminga was drafted seventh overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, and the original plan was for him to help guide the Golden State Warriors into a new era once the core dynasty players aged out.
Well, that didn’t quite happen — and to the great benefit of these Atlanta Hawks.
Since arriving here at the trade deadline, in just three games (albeit against the tanking Wizards and the Blazers minus Deni Avdija), Jonathan Kuminga has given fans something to believe in with this team. In 26.7 minutes per game, he’s averaging 21.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per contest while shooting 68/56/77 in the traditional shooting triple slash (a blistering 79% true shooting percentage).
And it hasn’t been one-way impact. He’s been a big contributor on defense as well with the team a +43 in his 80 court minutes so far.
There were concerns with his unwillingness to move the ball in a system that encourages quick decision making. Well, that concern has been assuaged with his sharp passing and good decision making so far. His 10-assist to eight-turnover ratio far undersells how easy he’s moved the ball so far and how well he’s seeing the floor.
After the missed corner three last time out against Portland, Kuminga hustles for the rebound in the video below. With the Blazers trying to reset their defense, he finds Landale for an easy dunk:
There were also concerns with his style of play on offense for a guy whose best attribute is getting into the restricted area. But so far, Kuminga has attacked the rim and been rewarded for his efforts.
Out of his 64 points scored, 32 of them are from the painted area and another 17 are off free throws after getting fouled. That means that 49-of-64 points or 77% of his scoring is coming from his downhill pressure.
From the beginning of the season until February 23, the day before Kuminga’s debut for the Hawks, the team was 27th in free throw rate (a ratio of free throw attempts to field goal attempts) at 0.232. Kuminga has a career free throw rate of 0.364 — and through three games, it’s a sky-high 0.710 here. That’s been a huge shot in the arm for a Quin Snyder team that wants to drive and kick more and more.
Additionally, the other 15 points are from his 5-for-9 (56%) performance from three-point land. He’s a career 33% three-point shooter, so I don’t expect this accuracy to continue, but his willingness to let it fly will certainly endear himself to the current coaching staff.
There were even concerns with his ability to fit in a team defense that needs forwards and centers alike to contribute to keeping opponents out of the restricted area. Well, he’s looked very engaged on that end, with five steals and a block so far.
Look at him slide his puppies in the clip below. And he finishes the possession with a tough close out on Jerami Grant:
In this next one, Kuminga sinks into the paint as the low man on defense. He gets off a clean weakside block on Tristan Vukcevic that starts a break the other way:
And here, he stays attached with his man, Grant again, while keeping eyes on the driving Jrue Holiday. But when he notices Holiday get too deep under the rim without a good outlet, Kuminga peels over to the relocating Blake Wesley and intercepts the pass:
The Hawks have struggled against physical teams like the Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors this year. They’ve gotten pushed around on the boards and outmuscled on drives more times than I can count.
The front office responded by beefing up at the deadline. First, was picking up the 6-foot-11, 255-pound Jock Landale for free (minus a bit of cash money). Now comes in a 6-foot-7, 225-point forward who has no problem mixing it up when need be. And the team has responded with a fun brand of basketball in the past month.
Finally.
Sometimes, it’s best to not overthink things. Jonathan Kuminga possesses a level of athleticism, power, and open court pace that you can’t teach. There was always lottery talent there, even if it didn’t shine as much in the Bay Area as many had hoped.
Now he’s playing his game — and that joy has been infectious.
The Hawks have blown out three straight opponents, with the latest a highlight dunkfest for Kuminga. It doesn’t take long to notice that he’s displaying a level of excitement to be playing the game of basketball and getting a new start in Atlanta:
And the greater NBA world is even taking notice. This from NBA insider Brian Windhorst on ESPN’s NBA Today:
In retrospect, there was really only upside when the Hawks made this move in the dead of night the evening before the trade deadline. When the cost is just an illness-stricken 30-year-old center who has only managed to play one game (in a blowout loss) for his new team, the Golden State Warriors, it’s already clear that the trade is a big win for Atlanta — even if ‘JK’ comes back to Earth a bit.
The Hawks experimented for a few minutes with both he and Jalen Johnson sharing the floor, and I suspect we’ll see more of that given the collective talent level. But there also may be a possible skillset overlap to look into in these lineups.
These next 20-plus games will be an interesting showcase to evaluate his fit, and that means it’s entirely possible he plays his way into a long-term future here.
At the end of this season, the Hawks own a $24.3 million team option on his contract. That ultimately means there’s no reason for him to walk in free agency unless the team chooses to part ways. Either you work out a trade, an extension, or merely pick up the option and figure things out during the 2026-27 season.
These past few games have been fun, but we truly need a bigger sample size against better teams to declare the trade an absolute heist. Still, the early returns have been everything we would have wanted and more.
It’s a little too early to say I was way off base, but I promise I will happily eat my words if Kuminga continues to play well enough to force the Hawks to keep him in their plans.
PHOENIX, AZ - FEBRUARY 24: Jalen Green #4 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball during the game against the Boston Celtics on February 24, 2026 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Kate Frese/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Suns fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
With Devin Booker returning tonight, expect a different starting lineup than the one the Phoenix Suns have been deploying the past few games amid all their injuries. Collin Gillespie will be running the point guard position as he has been the past three-plus months, Booker will be next to him in the backcourt, Mark Williams will be at center, and Royce O’Neale will be the team’s power forward.
The question is who will be playing the small forward position.
Grayson Allen has solidified his position as the team’s bench scorer, something he continued to do amid the team’s injuries, so it will come down to Ryan Dunn or Jalen Green.
Both have started the last few games, with Dunn having his first set of back-to-back double-digit scoring games since November, and Green has continued to struggle since coming back from his hamstring injury. The 24-year-old is averaging a career low 13 points per game on career low efficiency from the field, three, and free throw line. He’s especially struggled in his last four games, shooting 28% from the field and 15% from three.
While he did hit a buzzer-beating three against the Orlando Magic, it’s been a struggle lately for the fifth-year guard.
One of the key pieces the Suns acquired when they dealt Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets back in the offseason, Green has one of the highest upsides out of any player on the Phoenix roster. Coming into the season, Green was the only player outside of Devin Booker on the Suns to average at least 20 points per game for an entire season, and he did it twice in his first four seasons, including last year, where he was the leading scorer on a Houston Rockets team that was the second seed in the Western Conference.
He had a 38-point playoff game in his second-career playoff game. Amid all his defensive struggles, inefficiency problems, and size, he has the potential to have a big offensive game like few can on the Phoenix Suns. With the team lacking draft capital for the foreseeable future and carrying few young players on the roster, Green’s progression remains a vital part of the Suns’ future. While Dunn is also one of the team’s few young players, Dunn does not have the offensive potential that Green does, and has been given ample opportunities throughout his two seasons to prove himself and not done so consistently. Green has not been given that opportunity yet with the Suns.
Green has only played 12 games this season. When he returned from his hamstring injury, he re-injured it. Then, when he returned, he quickly had a few more absences due to injury. It’s fair to wonder how his conditioning has impacted his play, given how inconsistently he’s been in the lineup, as Jordan Ott spoke about recently. The question is, should he be playing more with the starters or the reserves? You decide.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 11: Kris Letang #58 of the Pittsburgh Penguins checks Marat Khusnutdinov #92 of the Boston Bruins in the first period at the TD Garden on January 11, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Who:Pittsburgh Penguins (31-15-13, 75 points, 2nd place Metropolitan Division) @ Boston Bruins (33-21-5, 71 points, 5th place Atlantic Division)
When: 7:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: Streaming on ESPN+, local broadcasts on SN-PT and NESN
Pens’ Path Ahead: The Penguins are back home later this week for a three-game homestand, which starts Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres, continues Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers and wraps up with a Sunday rematch against the Bruins.
Opponent Track: After heading into the Olympic break with back-to-back shootout losses, the Bruins have split their schedule since between a 4-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets and a 3-1 loss in Philadelphia.
Season Series: Joonas Korpisalo earned a 27-save, 1-0 shutout win against the Penguins the last time these two teams met on Jan. 11 at TD Garden.
Hidden Stat: The Bruins have claimed 10 straight wins at TD Garden, marking the franchise’s longest home win streak since the 2022-23 season.
Getting to know the Bruins
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Marat Khusnutdinov – Elias Lindholm – David Pastrnak
Casey Mittelstadt – Pavel Zacha – Viktor Arvidsson
Michael Eyssimont – Fraser Minten – Morgan Geekie
Tanner Jeannot – Sean Kuraly – Mark Kastelic
DEFENSEMEN
Jonathan Aspirot / Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm / Mason Lohrei
Nikita Zadorov / Henri Jokirharju
Goalies: Jeremy Swayman, Joonas Korpisalo
Potential scratches: Alex Steeves, Andrew Peeke, Jordan Harris
Injured Reserve: Dans Locmelis
The Bruins were riding an eight-game point streak, dating back to before the Olympic break, before dropping a 3-1 decision to the Flyers on Saturday in Philadelphia.
Elias Lindholm and Pavel Zacha, both sidelined ahead of the Olympic break with upper-body injuries, are back to anchor the Bruins’ top two lines.
Morgan Geekie just tied a career high with 33 goals, and he’s done it in just 58 games this season.
The Bruins’ top defenseman, Charlie McAvoy, is riding a nine-game point streak dating all the way back to Jan. 22.
The penalty kill has been a weakness this season for the Bruins, who are heading into this matchup ranked 27th in the NHL with a 76.7 percent PK rate. The team reportedly made some significant changes to the unit after the Olympic break, per The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa. Since then— albeit in a small sample size— the Bruins PK has been perfect, going 1-for-1 against the Blue Jackets and 3-for-3 against the Flyers last week.
The Bruins are in the market for a “top-six forward and a right-shot defenseman” at the trade deadline, according to a recent report from The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta. They’re reportedly dangling AHL forward Matthew Poitras as a potential trade piece, per Pagnotta.
Here’s a look at the Eastern Conference playoff race as of Monday night, per NHL.com. The Bruins are just two points up on the race for the final Wild Card spot in the East, although they have three games in hand on the Washington Capitals for the spot.
And now for the Pens
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin
Avery Hayes – Rickard Rakell – Bryan Rust
Anthony Mantha – Ben Kindel – Justin Brazeau
Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Noel Acciari
DEFENSEMEN
Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson
Sam Girard / Kris Letang
Ryan Shea / Connor Clifton
Goalies: Arturs Silovs, Stuart Skinner played yesterday
Potential Scratches: Kevin Hayes, Ryan Graves, Ilya Solovyov
IR: Sidney Crosby, Filip Hallander, Jack St. Ivany
Not much news from Monday. As of Monday, Evgeni Malkin was set to have a talk with Penguins management about a potential extension “in the next day or two,” per The Athletic’s Josh Yohe.
A few milestones potentially on the table tonight: Rickard Rakell is three assists short of 300, Sam Girard is two assists shy of 200 and Kris Letang is one point back from No. 800.
Per Pens PR: Only the Washington Capitals and Vegas Golden Knights have more 20-goal scorers than in Pittsburgh, where Sidney Crosby, Anthony Mantha and Bryan Rust have each reached the threshold this season.
Another fun fact from Pens PR: the Pens’ fourth line of Noel Acciari, Connor Dewar and Blake Lizotte has been on the ice for seven 5v5 goals against, the fewest of any forward line that has been together for at least 250 minutes at even strength this season.
The Pens’ Sunday win over the Vegas Golden Knights boosted their MoneyPuck playoff odds to 89.4 percent heading into Tuesday.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 9: Johan Rojas #18 of the Philadelphia Phillies reacts after getting hit by a pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park on July 9, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Dodgers 10-1. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
SARASOTA, FL - FEBRUARY 20: Trey Gibson (88) of the Baltimore Orioles delivers a pitch during a spring training game against the New York Yankees on February 20, 2026 at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
The Orioles, after their first day off, are back in action this afternoon for an exhibition game against Team Netherlands, tuning up for the World Baseball Classic. The Netherlands roster includes notable current and former big leaguers Xander Bogaerts, Ozzie Albies, Jurickson Profar, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Didi Gregorius, along with former O’s catcher Chadwick Tromp and former Orioles minor leaguer (and brother of Jonathan) Sharlon Schoop. Sadly, this game, which sounds like the most interesting of the Orioles’ entire spring, won’t be televised anywhere.
In other news, MLB.com became the latest major prospect publication to unveil its ranking of the top 30 Orioles prospects. Like all the other lists published so far, Samuel Basallo is at the top, and like almost all of the others, Dylan Beavers and Nate George are right behind him. Among other prospects, Enrique Bradfield Jr. has slipped in the Orioles’ ranking, dropping from fourth place on MLB’s list last season to 10th this year, but his speed remains tantalizing enough to earn the maximum 80 grade on the 20-80 scouting scale. This just in: he’s fast.
What strikes me about this top-30 list is just how much pitching is on it. While there are only three pitchers ranked in the top 10 (Luis De León at #4, Trey Gibson #5, and Esteban Mejia #8), it’s extremely pitcher heavy after that, with hurlers ranking at every spot from #11 to #17. That’s an interesting change from the recent past. In previous seasons, even when the Orioles regularly had one of the best farm systems in baseball, position players far outweighed pitchers in their rankings. In MLB’s list two years ago, the O’s didn’t have any pitchers ranked among their top eight. In both 2023 and 2024, they had only three pitchers among their top 15 prospects.
It’s no secret that the Orioles haven’t been great at developing pitching in the Mike Elias era, but things could be starting to change. Last year’s trade-deadline selloff infused the organization with young pitching talent, including Boston Bateman (#11), Juaron Watts-Brown (#16), and Tyson Neighbors (#17). A pair of 2025-drafted pitchers also show up on this list in Joseph Dzierwa (#14) and JT Quinn (#21).
The Orioles, of course, still have to nurture and develop these young arms into capable big league-ready pitchers, which is no easy feat. Just witness the rocky arrivals of their previous two top pitching prospects, Cade Povich and Chayce McDermott. Not all of these pitching prospects are going to amount to something. But the Orioles have got more pitching depth than they’ve had in years, so the odds are that some of these guys will break through even if others falter.
Dare we say it? The Orioles might finally be ready to grow the arms.
I’m still of the opinion that the Coby Mayo at third base experiment will be a disaster, but there’s no turning back now. I don’t think another third baseman is going to materialize out of thin air, so good luck to Coby.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Six former Orioles were born on this day, and if you’ve heard of more than two of them, you’re a true Orioles sicko. They include 2019 one-gamer José Rondón (32), 2020 three-gamer Dilson Herrera (also 32), 1998 nine-gamer Bobby Muñoz (58), and the late righty Francisco de la Rosa (b. 1966, d. 2011), who pitched two games in 1991. Two birthday boys with more extensive Orioles experience are former closer Jorge Julio (47) and the late righty Jesse Jefferson (b. 1949, d. 2011).
March 3 has historically been a slow day for Orioles news. The only transaction the O’s have ever made on this date was in 2018, when they signed infielder Danny Valencia to a minor league deal. The veteran had played for the Orioles five years earlier and posted an .888 OPS in part-time duty, but his return engagement to Baltimore didn’t turn out as well. Valencia OPSed .723 in 78 games for the historically terrible 2018 Orioles before they released him in mid-August.
JUPITER, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 27: Nathan Church #27 of the St. Louis Cardinals catches a fly ball against the New York Mets during the fourth inning of a spring training game at Roger Dean Stadium on February 27, 2026 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If you’re ready to analyze performance and results, so am I. The first 10 games of Spring Training are a really bad barometer for that, and moreso an exercise in futility. So, until we can really dig into the fun stuff, I figured it would be a good time to share some thoughts on how I see the NL Central shaking out over the regular season. With Manager Oliver Marmol signed to a brand new 2-year contract extension, it would be a good time to point out that the Cardinals have won 11 more games than their expected Win-Loss total over the last 2 seasons. I expect that this trend will continue in the 2026 season. Will it be enough to keep them respectable, relevant, and interesting? We’ll see!
5th – St. Louis Cardinals
Let me be clear, I don’t think this is a 100-loss team, but they might lose 90. If they wound up 72-90, would anyone really be shocked at that outcome? Neither would I; that’s not to say this season can’t still be filled with a lot of interesting storylines and more interesting development from young players to provide a clearer picture for 2027 and beyond. If this were not to be the case, as I outlined in my article last week, several big question marks would have to be answered in the affirmative for them to really propel themselves beyond the cellar of the 2026 NL Central.
I’m intrigued by the rotation and the number of MLB-ready arms there are that can step in and throw meaningful innings for this team. I’m eager to see what type of steps forward Ivan Herrera, Alec Burleson, Masyn Winn, Jordan Walker, Nolan Gorman, and Victor Scott take. I think JJ Wetherholt is going to solidify the 2nd base position and will hold it down in St. Louis for the next decade plus. I think that any of O’Brien, Romero, or Svanson can lock down games for the Cardinals at the back end of games based on matchups. There is a 90th percentile outcome where they contend for a Wild Card spot, seeing as how it’s never been easier for a team to make the postseason thanks to the expanded format.
The reduction of proven production from this roster in Brendan Donovan, Willson Contreras, Sony Gray, Nolan Arenado, and others lowers the floor of this team to a place where Cardinals fans 30 years old and younger just simply aren’t accustomed to and that leaves open the greater possibility that the floor could fall out from under them and go sideways while not knowing how to get it back on the rails.
4th – Cincinnati Reds
Manager Terry Francona’s squad did just enough to sneak past the drowning New York Mets last season to get into the playoffs and earn the honor of preparing the Dodgers for the actual contenders in the National League. Led by one of the most exciting players in baseball, Elly De La Cruz, the Reds front office did very little in the way of adding to their team in a way that moves the needle. A full season of top prospects, Sal Stewart and Chase Burns, will likely raise their floor a bit, and the additions of Eugenio Suarez, JJ Bleday, and Dane Meyers to the offense are all that Nick Krall and Co. really accomplished. They also brought back closer Emilio Pagan and added relievers Pierce Johnson and Caleb Ferguson to a somewhat underrated group, including Tony Santillian and Graham Ashcraft. Unclear if they will all be able to repeat the strides they made last season.
Between Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Andrew Abbott, Brady Singer, and Chase Burns thats one of the better starting rotations in the NL. Health is the biggest question mark I have with that group, and I will bet against them all making it through 2026 unscathed. They have a little depth behind those 5 in Chase Petty and Rhett Lowder. Ultimately, I just think the Reds don’t have enough offensively and in the bullpen to get them to the playoffs in what I think will be a very competitive NL Central.
3rd – Milwaukee Brewers
Speaking of teams that were run over by the World Champion Dodgers, the Milwaukee Brewers land in 3rd place for me. Back-to-back NL Manager of the Year Pat Murphy leads a scrappy Brewers team that plays the game the right way and always seems to outperform expectations. Which would seemingly make this spot in the division an absurd prediction and one bound to be proven wrong.
However, the loss of Freddy Peralta is one that will not only impact their performance on the field but also the culture they had cultivated in Milwaukee. Brandon Woodruff is back after accepting the QO, and rookie All-Star flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski had some up and down moments in the 2nd half of the season as MLB teams were able to adjust after seeing a little bit more of him. Quinn Priester, Chad Patrick, Logan Henderson, and Brandon Sproat round out the back half of the rotation and should provide some level of consistency in the rotation.
Trevor Megill and Abner Uribe at the back end of games bring big-time gas on the mound, and the rest of the ragtag group of no-name relievers that Milwaukee always features will somehow find a way to be better than expected. If that duo can remain healthy at the back end of games, I expect Milwaukee will have one of the better bullpens statistically speaking.
An offense led by All-Star Christian Yelich, up-and-coming outfielder Jackson Chourio, Catcher William Contreras, platinum glove-winning 2nd baseman Brice Turang, and breakout primed first basemen Andrew Vaughn, Milwaukee will be a multi-faceted attack offensively capable of scoring runs and winning in a variety of ways. Even after the departures of Caleb Durbin and Issac Collins, the offense still figures to be one that will give the opposition fits all summer long.
2nd – Pittsburgh Pirates
No longer interm Manager Don Kelly leads a group that had one of the most productive and interesting offseasons in recent memory. With the additions of All-Star 2B Brandon Lowe, All-Star 1B/OF Ryan O’Hearn, and former All-Star DH Marcell Ozuna, OF Jhostnyxon Garcia, and OF Jake Mangum, the Pirates were able to address their biggest deficiency, and that was scoring runs. You include the possibility of Phenom top prospect Konnor Griffin in that group, and you don’t have to squint to see their offense being substantially improved.
Adding to the group of Bryan Reynolds, Oneill Cruz, and Spencer Horwitz from 2025, the Pirates will also feature a bench with defensive capabilities to help the pitching staff lock down games late between Nick Gonzales, Jared Triolo, and the aforementioned Jake Mangum and Jhostnyxon Garcia.
A pitching staff anchored by generational talent and reigning Cy Young award winner Paul Skenes, the rest of the league will also have to contend with Mitch Keller, Bubba Chandler, the return of Jared Jones, and Braxton Ashcraft. Top prospects Hunter Barco and Thomas Harrington will be waiting in the wings if and when anyone from the rotation blows a tire and needs a spell on the IL.
The bullpen will be a formidable group led by breakout reliever Dennis Santana and veteran lefty flame thrower Gregory Soto. The Pirates also acquired lefty fireballer Mason Montgomery (whom I wrote the Cardinals should have acquired at the beginning of the offseason). I think this bullpen is one of the more underrated heading into the 2026 season, and I won’t be surprised if they wind up being a big part of why they have success in 2026.
1st – Chicago Cubs
I hate it. It’s gross. I want to pour gasoline on myself and light a match. The Chicago Cubs made a very smart decision by bringing in Alex Bregman. He has the experience, the leadership, the slow heartbeat in big moments, the proven track record; he’s everything Chicago needed last postseason. Craig Counsell enters his 3rd season at the helm of the Chicago Cubs, and nationally they’re considered the near consensus favorite to win the division.
Will MLB teams continue to exploit PCA’s offensive shortcomings? Can Carson Kelly repeat his breakout season? Those will be interesting questions to follow. The Cubs are exceptional on both sides of the ball with the best up the middle defense in baseball between Swanson, Hoerner, and the aforementioned PCA. They’ve got strong corner presences in Alex Bregman, Michael Busch, Ian Happ, and Seiya Suzuki. They added Michael Conforto on a minor league deal this spring, and he is someone who had the largest disparity between wOBA and xwOBA last season. Moises Ballesteros is a gifted young offensive catcher who profiles more as a DH long-term, who should add to the gross amount of offensive depth they boast.
The rotation I’m a little more skeptical of. Their position group should be propped up by a really strong defense behind it. All-Star Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, newly acquired Edward Cabrera, Jameson Taillon, and Rookie sensation Cade Horton are a capable group who will be helped by the midseason return of Justin Steele. The rotation depth behind those 6 includes Ben Brown, Jordan Wicks, Jaxon Wiggins, Javier Assad, and Colin Rea.
The Bullpen includes Phil Maton coming off a stellar 2025, underrated reliever Hunter Harvey, lefty Caleb Thielbar, submarine lefty Hoby Milner, and fire baller Daniel Palencia shutting the door at the end of games. A stacked group of relievers that all offer unique looks and pitch shapes that should surely give opposing teams fits to get into any type of rhythm late in games.
The rotation is my biggest question mark, but they have so much depth behind them, and the presence of the defense should prop up most lackluster performances that that group may have. It’s hard to find any true deficiencies on paper. The Cubs should stack up against any NL contender once postseason play rolls around, and it will be miserable and envious to watch it from afar all season long.
Our focus this season will understandably be to overanalyze every Cardinals decision, but I wanted to zoom the lens out to the NL Central and how I am forecasting the 2026 season. I think the 2026 will be highly contested, and I think that it will offer more twists and turns than most fans are expecting. I’m extremely anxious to see it play out, even if that means the Cardinals wind up being fodder in a majority of the contests. Still, we’re a little over 3 weeks away from getting this started again, and I’m ready to watch it all unfold with you all for another season! Let me know what you’re thinking and what order you see the division finishing in. Might be fun to look back on at season’s end to see how close (or not) some of us were.
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski throws in the outfield during spring training workouts Sunday, February 15, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona. | Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
On Tuesday, Jacob Misiorowski is set to make his spring debut. With the departure of Freddy Peralta, he is arguably the highlight of the Brewers’ rotation now. Brandon Woodruff is still the longest-tenured Brewer, but Misiorowski is being pushed as one of the new faces of the franchise. As he enters his second season, here are a few questions for him in the upcoming year.
Can he build off his strong first season?
Misiorowski had one of the most hyped debuts that a Brewers pitcher has had in recent years. His career began with 11 no-hit innings, and he carried a perfect game into the seventh inning of his season start. That helped earn him an All-Star selection after just five major league starts. While Misiorowski came back down to earth as the season went on (which may have been affected by a left tibia contusion that put him on the IL), his season ended strong, with a postseason run that put him right back in the spotlight.
That means the bar is set very high for him as season two begins. It also makes it harder to set reasonable goals for him. Early projections are overall positive. ZiPS has him projected for 26 appearances covering 116 2/3 innings, with a 3.86 ERA, 3.80 FIP, 10.93 K/9, and 3.93 BB/9. The number of innings would be a step back for him, and the strikeouts would dip slightly, but he would also see some improvement in the walk rate. This would align with his minor league development, where he has seen small drops in his strikeout rate accompanied by a reduced walk rate.
This is also where we would have to temper our expectations as fans. It may not be reasonable to expect another All-Star year for Misiorowski. He might not even end up as the best pitcher in the Brewers’ rotation. Would a season with small improvements to his stats be considered a success? It might be, since it would at least show continued growth from year to year. It just wouldn’t be as flashy as his debut in the league was last year. At the same time, it would be exciting to see him remain just as electric and establish himself as a premier pitcher in the league.
How will his jump in innings be handled?
Teams won’t set specific innings limits for pitchers, but this is an important question for Misiorowski as he continues to develop in the majors. He already saw a significant increase in his innings between 2024 and 2025. After pitching 97 1/3 innings in 2024, that workload increased to 141 1/3 innings between the regular season and postseason. That is a 45% increase. Most teams use 20% to 25% as a general rule of thumb for inning increases, but that is not a hard rule. It comes down to the individual pitcher and how they respond to the workload.
Misiorowski struggled after a short IL stint at the start of August, posting a 6.41 ERA and 4.00 FIP in his first six starts after his return. However, he rebounded in his final two starts and was included on the postseason roster. That’s where he really shone, allowing just two earned runs in three postseason starts, covering 12 innings.
It’s highly unlikely that the Brewers will increase his innings by 45% again in 2026. That would make him a 200-inning pitcher in his second season. In fact, most of the early projections only bump his innings up by a small amount. I mentioned ZiPS above, which has him pitching 116 2/3 innings in 2026. That would be a drop from the 129 1/3 innings he pitched between the majors and minors in 2025. Most of the other projections on FanGraphs put him between 134 and 139 innings, making 30 to 32 appearances.
It’s also interesting that many of these projections only have Misiorowski making 24-25 starts. A little of that could be from the Brewers using openers, which they likely will continue to do. It also could be a projection that Misiorowski spends part of the season in the bullpen, potentially as innings management. However, there’s nothing that says he can’t get a full season of starts. Quinn Priester, with 29 appearances last season (realistically, all starts despite using openers), pitched 157 1/3 innings. That’s likely near the top of what we would see Misiorowski pitch this season. Even if he pitched that much, it would still leave some space for postseason appearances, and some start manipulation during the season could give him a start off here and there.
The main question for Misiorowski is if that increased workload will affect him at all. While he has had an offseason to rest, it was still a major increase in innings. Is he fully rested and recovered from last season? Can he pitch a similar number of innings for another year?
How have other Brewers fared in their second seasons?
This question is not an easy one to answer, as other Brewers have taken different paths to establish themselves. Though the development staff has changed from year to year, the Brewers have put together a strong track record over the last several years, so it can still provide a reference point. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest names for the Brewers in the last several years:
Brandon Woodruff: He got his first taste in the majors in August 2017. He made an impressive debut against the Rays on August 4, then made seven more starts to finish out the season. In 2018, he served in a bullpen role for most of the season, but also made a few starts as he bounced between the majors and Triple-A Colorado Springs. His regular season was strong enough for him to earn a postseason roster spot, where he made four appearances, two* of those starts (counting the decoy NLCS Game 5).
Freddy Peralta: He made his debut in 2018, helping fill the Brewers’ rotation as he bounced between the major and minor leagues. In the majors, he started 14 games before finishing the season in the bullpen. He also made a postseason appearance, pitching three scoreless innings. He spent most of 2019 in the bullpen after some early struggles in the rotation. While his ERA and FIP increased, his strikeout and walk rates both saw improvements.
Corbin Burnes: While the above two pitchers saw growth between seasons one and two, Burnes was the opposite. His career began out of the bullpen, and he started strong. After a 2.61 ERA out of the bullpen, he earned a spot on the postseason roster as well, where he allowed just two runs in six postseason appearances over nine innings. However, season two was a disaster. He started the season in the rotation but was quickly removed after recording a 10.70 ERA in four starts. A return to the bullpen helped, but not enough, and he went back to the minors at the end of July. Thankfully, the Brewers did not give up on him, and he began to show more improvement in his third season.
2018: 38 IP, 30 games (no starts), 2.61 ERA, 3.79 FIP, 8.3 K/9, 2.6 BB/9
Aaron Ashby: Ashby made his debut in June 2021, making a spot start before returning in August. He initially pitched as a starter, but shifted to the bullpen to finish out the season. He made the opening day roster in 2022 and initially shifted between the bullpen and rotation. He eventually settled into the rotation and finished out the year there. Though the results didn’t look the best, the Brewers had enough confidence in him that they signed him to a five-year, $20.5-million extension after his second season. Unfortunately, he lost all of 2023 and some of 2024 due to a shoulder injury.
How will Misiorowski perform in year two? Looking at the Brewers’ track record, he’s likely due for some more growth. Tuesday will be the start of his second season. Let’s see another good story for the Brewers.
(Original Caption) 4/20/1973- Boston, MA: Overhead view under basket during game 3 of NBA playoffs at Boston Garden. Dave Debusschere (R) of Knicks and Paul Silas (C) of Celtics wait for possible rebound during 1st quarter action. Walt Frazier of the Knicks looks on.
Dave DeBusscherre is an underappreciated great of the game.
Born in 1940 in Detroit, DeBusscherre was a talented basketball and baseball player. He attended the University of Detroit (now Detroit Mercy). Like Danny Ainge and Duke legend Dick Groat, DeBusscherre played professionally in both sports.
Amazingly, in 1964-65, at the tender age of 24, he was named player-coach of the Detroit Pistons. His greatest fame came after he was traded to the New York Knicks and became a key part of two championship teams there.
DeBusscherre was famous for intensity, defense, and hustle. When you watch this video, you’ll see just how much his teammates thought of him. He was really the final piece of a great team.
He retired in 1974, and after working for the ABA’s New York Nets for a year, became the final commissioner of the ABA, helping to organize the 1976 merger.
After that, he went back to the Knicks and ultimately got to draft Patrick Ewing in 1985.
Sadly, DeBusscherre died of a heart attack on a Manhattan street in 2003.
He was a tremendous player though and his ability to accept and perfect his role with the Knicks was a key to their brilliant post-Celtics dynasty run.
Mar 1, 2026; Jupiter, Florida, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin (75) hits a two-run home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a surprising 9-2 in this year’s Spring Training Grapefruit League following yesterday’s 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. They are currently on a five-game win streak and have the best record in all of Spring Training. And while it’s ceratinly way early, and the real games haven’t even started yet, the Bucs looks like they’ve made a dent in one of their longstanding problems — scoring runs.
The Pirates have 65 runs scored over their 11 games, or almost 6 per contest, which is good enough for third-best in the Grapefruit League. Their +31 run differential is good enough for the second best in the Grapefruit and in all of Spring Training.
The lack of power in last season’s Bucs lineup was stark, but at the moment in Spring Training, they have 13 team dingers, which is tied for ninth across the Majors, including 3 homers from top prospect Konnor Griffin, 2 from Yordany De Los Santos, and single dingers from Oneil Cruz, Ryan O’Hearn, Endy Rodriguez, and Jhostynxon Garcia, as well as a few from a couple guys unlikely to be playing in the Majors this year.
In addition, the Bucs are hitting .274 across all Spring Training games, a number I’m pretty sure we’re all happy with after a 2025 in which they hit a dreadful .231, which was third-worst in the Majors. Nick Gonzales, along with Cruz and Garcia, are all hitting .538 across 5 and 6 games respectively this Spring to help lead the Bucs in the average department.
When you combine some above-average hitting with one of the league’s best pitching staffs, this is the result. The Bucs are second in all of Spring Training in ERA, third in team WHIP, fifth in strikeouts and second in opposing team batting average. I don’t think any of us are surprised there. But we’ve all been wondering how good the Bucs could be with even some decent hitting, and we’re getting a glimpse of that this Spring.
Yes, it’s super early, and the real games haven’t even started yet, but if the Buccos can translate their Spring Training hitting into similar success in the regular season, they have every chance to be back in the MLB headlines for all of the right reasons.
The bubble remains congested and work in progress heading into the final week of the regular season for the sports' power five conferences and some mid-major conferences. Auburn finds itself sitting on the outside after a Quad 3 loss to Mississippi dropped them to 1-7 in their last eight games.
Several other Power 5 conference teams — ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and Big East — that look to be "locks" for March Madness have hit a few roadblocks that can knock them down a seed line if they aren't able to rebound in the final week of the regular season or if they can't get can't a win (or two) at their respective conference tournaments.
Here’s a look at the latest NCAA tournament bracket projection, which takes into account games played through Monday, March 2:
There is no change at the 1-seed line since the last projection. It's UConn vs. the likes of Florida/Illinois/Houston for that final 1-seed spot. The Huskies handled business last week to separate themselves from the 2-seed line a bit with their eighth Quad 1 win of the season against St. John's and a gutsy win over Seton Hall.
No. 2 Seeds
Florida (AQ — SEC)
Illinois
Houston
Michigan State
Florida is beginning to come into the mix and knock on the door of a 1-seed following its 34-point win over No. 19 Arkansas over the weekend, where it got 23 points from Thomas Haugh. The Gators are 18-2 since their less-than-ideal 5-4 start to the season, where they were unable to lock up a signature Quad 1 win in non-conference play.
Michigan State bumps up to the 2-seed line after a 2-0 week on the road with wins at No. 14 Purdue and Indiana. The Spartans have a big one coming up against Michigan to end the regular season before heading to the Big Ten tournament in Chicago.
No. 3 Seeds
Iowa State
Purdue
Kansas
Gonzaga (AQ — West Coast Conference)
Iowa State and Purdue are both losing some steam heading into the final week of the regular season. The Cyclones lost out on an opportunity to keep themselves in the mix for the 1-seed vs. Texas Tech going into Monday's loss at Arizona, as the path to the No. 2 seed had opened up for them a bit before their game vs. the Red Raiders with Houston's three-game losing skid and the Boilermakers' loss to Michigan State.
For the Boilermakers, Matt Painter's squad is 5-6 in their last 11 games, and has lost three of their last four. In addition to its loss to Michigan State last Thursday at Mackey Arena, Purdue followed that up with a loss at Ohio State, a then-bubble team. Gonzaga hangs onto the 3-seed heading into the West Coast Conference tournament. It's a big March coming up for Mark Few's squad before they head to the reorganized Pac-12 next year.
Alabama stole one on the road at Tennessee to continue its quiet rise up to the 4-seed line. The Crimson Tide has now won eight straight and has eight Quad 1 wins going into Tuesday's road game at Georgia, the latter of which is tied for the fifth most in the country.
No. 5 Seeds
Tennessee
Arkansas
St. John's
Vanderbilt
St. John's bounced back from a 32-point loss at UConn with its own 32-point win over Villanova. Arkansas ended a rather strong month of February, during which it went 5-2, but ending in ugly fashion with its loss to Florida.
No. 6 Seeds
North Carolina
Louisville
Kentucky
Brigham Young
BYU might be "safe" to make the NCAA tournament, but the Cougars' chances of having a six-seed or higher are now in question. Since starting 16-1 on the season, BYU has lost eight of its last 12 games, which includes two bad back-to-back losses to Oklahoma State and West Virginia.
Kentucky has been a tough team to get a read on for most of the season, and it's why the Wildcats have moved around a ton in bracket projections and top 25 rankings. Mark Pope's squad takes a two-game winning streak, which features a top-25 win over Vanderbilt, into its road game at Texas A&M on Tuesday.
Louisville fell out of the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll following back-to-back losses to North Carolina and Clemson. The Cardinals are 1-3 in their last four games.
Villanova drops down a seed line following a no-show performance at Madison Square Garden against St. John's over the weekend. The Wildcats will have to find a way to fill the loss of Matt Hodge with their 3-point shooting in their final two games (at DePaul, vs. Xavier) before heading back up to The Garden next week for the Big East tournament.
No. 8 Seeds
Saint Louis (AQ — Atlantic 10)
Utah State (AQ — Mountain West)
Miami
Iowa
The Atlantic 10 continues to look like a one-bid conference with Saint Louis, but the Billikens' loss to Dayton has opened the possibility that there could be a different representative from the conference after next week's tournament in Washington D.C. ... perhaps Virginia Commonwealth under first-year head coach Phil Martelli Jr.?
A loss to last-place Penn State could not have come at a worse time for Iowa. The Hawkeyes hang on to an 8-seed for now, though they've now lost four of their last six.
No. 9 seeds
Texas
Georgia
Texas A&M
Clemson
Clemson picked up a much-needed win over Louisville over the weekend to snap a four-game losing skid. The Tigers have a Quad 1 opportunity on Tuesday at North Carolina awaiting them, where a win could really boost their "okay" 6-5 Quad 1 record before the ACC tournament. Texas A&M is slowly moving its way down to the 10-seed line, as the Aggies have dropped six of their past eight games.
No. 10 seeds
Central Florida
UCLA
Ohio State
Missouri
Ohio State, you can exhale for a second. The Buckeyes' win over Purdue on Sunday bumps Jake Diebler's squad up to the 10-seed line heading. Ohio State still needs a win or two to feel "safe," but the Buckeyes hopes of making the cutline and snapping their three-year drought of not making the tournament look a lot better now than before the ball tipped against Purdue.
No. 11 Seeds
Miami (Ohio) (AQ — Mid-American)
Southern Methodist
Santa Clara **
New Mexico **
TCU **
Indiana **
From the eye-test, Indiana shouldn't be making the field — even as a First Four team — given the fact that the Hoosiers have lost five of their last seven games and are nine games back of first place in the Big Ten standings. It's their top-50 NET ranking (No. 41) that keeps them in Dayton for now.
TCU is an interesting team on the bubble. The Horned Frogs' metrics are the "best," as they are No. 45 in the NET and No. 49 on KenPom with a 4-6 Quad 1 record, but they've been able to turn around their season in the Big 12 rather nicely in the last month to give them a shot at their fourth March Madness appearance in the last five years. Since starting 3-6 in Big 12 play, TCU is 6-1 with two games against Texas Tech and Cincinnati to go in the regular season.
New Mexico went 1-1 last week and has two games this week against Colorado State and Utah State before heading to the Mountain West tournament, where the Lobos are currently projected to be the 2-seed in the field. Santa Clara earned the No. 3 seed and a bye to the quarterfinals in the WCC tournament.
Three of our projected No. 1 seeds were involved in highly-anticipated contests against highly-ranked opponents over the weekend. Duke, Arizona and Michigan all won those matchups in impressive fashion, solidifying their place on the first line of the bracket. The fourth No. 1 is also unchanged, though Connecticut might be challenged in the next couple of weeks by a hard-charging Florida squad. For now, the Gators hold steady as the leaders on the No. 2 line along with Houston, Iowa State and Nebraska.
But while there is clarity near the top of the bracket, there’s a lot of chaos around the bubble. The team that did the most to help its case this weekend was Ohio State, now in much safer territory thanks to a win against Purdue.
Auburn remains in freefall, barely clinging to a spot in the First Four after going just 1-7 since Jan. 31. New Mexico nudges back into the field with a key Mountain West win, while Indiana, California and San Diego State find themselves on the outside.
March Madness bracketology: NCAA Tournament projection
March Madness last four in
UCLA, Santa Clara, New Mexico, Auburn.
March Madness first four out
Indiana, Virginia Commonwealth, California, San Diego State.
NCAA tournament bids conference breakdown
Multi-bid leagues: SEC (11), Big Ten (9), ACC (8), Big 12 (8), Big East (3), West Coast (3), Mountain West (2).
The World Baseball Classic is back, and with it comes major-league star power battling for national pride.
Nearly 200 Major League Baseball players will take part in this year's WBC, the worldwide tournament that started in 2006. Japan has won three of the five tournaments, including 2023 when Shohei Ohtani struck out then-Angels-teammate Mike Trout to secure victory over the United States.
The WBC begins Wednesday, March 4 with Taiwan taking on Australia in the first pool play matchup. The United States kicks off its tournament in Houston on Friday, March 6 against Brazil.
Rosters at this year's WBC are littered with some of baseball's biggest stars. Czechia is the only team of the 20 that are competing to not have an MLB-rostered player on its squad.
Here is a team-by-team look at the MLB players competing:
